other cause, he finds himself deprived of the sight of his eyes, and can no longer be gratified by the perfections, or perceive the defects of those whom he hears mentioned as still living and labouring in the exercise of their vocation. And above all, as it seems to me, must he be grieved, when he hears the praises of the new artists; not from envy, but from regret that he also cannot have the opportunity of judging whether such commendations be well-founded or not.
Such was the misfortune which happened to the Florentine sculptor Benedetto da Rovezzano,[1] whose life we are now about to write, that the world may know how able and practised a master he was, and that all may be made aware of the extent to which he gave life[2] to marble, and may learn to appreciate the care and ability which enabled him to produce the admirable effects exhibited in his delicately-executed labours. Among the earliest of the many works produced by this artist in Florence, may be mentioned a mantel-piece in the stone called macigno, for the palace of Pier Francesco Borgherini,[3] the capitals, friezes, and other ornaments of which were richly carved by his hand; many of these decorations being wholly detached from the marble ground beneath, and exhibiting an almost inconceivable lightness; there is also another mantel-piece by the hand of Benedetto in the house of Messer Bindo Altoviti, with a lavatory in macigno stone, and other things all very delicately adorned by the same artist, but as regards the architecture, these last were designed by Jacopo Sansovino, who was then very young.
In the year 1512 Benedetto received the commission for a marble sepulchre very richly adorned, to be erected in the principal chapel of the church of the Carmine in Florence;
- ↑ Rovezzano is a small market town, situate about two miles from Florence, the road to it leaving that city by the Porta alla Croce. — Ed. Flor. 1832-8.
- ↑ The Italian commentators make some question as to the precise meaning to be attached to the word “campare,” as here used. The present writer has given that which seems best to render the thought of the author as gathered from the context, &c., but the reader who shall desire to see the subject discussed, is referred to the annotation of the learned and reverend Monsignore Bottari, Roman Edition of Vasari, 1759.
- ↑ This work may still be seen in excellent condition, the house being that in the Borgo Sant’ Apostolo, which now belongs to the Rosselli family. See Cicognara, Storia, tom. ii. pl. xxx.
